Dismountable shelving units



Nov. 26, 1963 A. J. BJERKE DISMOUNTAB1LE SHELVING UNITS Filed Feb. 21,1961 smug Mew

R l 0 m 4 n J v M H A United States Patent 3,111,916 DISMOUNTABLESHELVING UNITS Alf J. Bjerke, Braatengaten 24, Moss, Norway Filed Feb.21, 1961, Ser. No. 90,736 Claims priority, application Norway Feb. 27,1960 4 Claims. (Cl. 108152) The present invention relates todismountable shelving units comprising support or columns provided withseries of vertical slots in which books on shelf-supporting brackets areadapted to engage in detachable association therewith, each bracketcomprising means for connecting to a shelf, and on which said shelfrests.

An object of the invention is to provide units of the "kind abovereferred to in which the brackets and shelves may be detachablyconnected so that the shelves are held against movement in vertical andlongitudinal directions with respect to the brackets without the use ofseparate fastening means, but are limited adjustable longitudinally ofsaid brackets.

The invention is mainly distinguished by a dismountable shelving unitcomprising support posts, vertical series of vertical slots along thefront sides of said posts shelfsupporting brackets each having on itsrear edge a pair of hooks adapted to engage in detachable associationwith said series of slots, a longitudinal channel-shaped groove at oneside of each of the brackets defined by upper and lower side walls, ashelf comprising lower and upper rectangular wire frames interconnectedby intermediate cross wires spaced longitudinally of the shelf, theoutmost of said cross wires being positioned at a distance from theadjacent ends of the shelf so as to allow the end portions of the wireframes to be moved resiliently towards each other during insertionthereof into the grooves of said brackets, which grooves each has avertical width smaller than the thickness of the shelf, and meansretaining said wire frame ends in said grooves.

The invention will be more fully described by way of example withreference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a shelf unit,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section along the line A-A in FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section along the line B-B inFIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a section similar to FIGURE 3, showing the insertion'of ashelf end.

In the drawing 1 denotes a fiat wire shelf consisting of lower and upperrectangular, elongated wire frames 2 and, 3. The central portions of theframes are interconnected by transverse, parallel wires 6, the ends ofwhich are inserted between the longitudinal wire-portions of said framesand secured thereto such as by welding or in another suitable manner.The ends of the transverse wires 6 are crank-shaped or bent downwardly adistance corresponding to the diameter of the wire of the upper frame 3so that the portions of said wires 6 extending between the side portionsof the frames will be level with the upper frame 3, as shown. Thetransverse wires 6 nearest to the end portions of the frames 2, 3 arepositioned at such distance from said end portions, as best shown inFIGURE 3, that the vertically spaced end portions of the frames 2, 3 onthe outside of said wires 6' are springy and may be clamped resilienttowards one another.

\ The shelf is supported by brackets 4, which may conveniently be madeof sheet metal and are supported by upright support columns or posts 5,preferably of channel "shape and each provided along its front side withone or two vertical series of vertical slots 5'.

Each bracket 4 is provided on its rear edge with a pair of attachinghooks 8 adapted to enter a corresponding pair of the vertical slots 5 ofthe supporting posts 5 for fastening the bracket thereto.

Each of the brackets has a channel-shaped cross-section 7 forming alongitudinal groove 7' at one side of the bracket adapted to receive theend of the shelf 1. The vertical width of said groove 7 is smaller thanthe thickness of the shelf 1, and the lower side wall of the groove hasan upwardly bent portion 11 which serves to retain the lower frame 2 inthe groove whereas the upper side wall 12 extends horizontally.

When mounting the end of the shelf 1 the transverse Wire at the end ofthe lower frame thereof is inserted into the lower end of the groove 7'and hooked behind the portion 11 with the bracket in an inclinedposition as shown in FIGURE 4. When the bracket then is turned about thelower frame wire in the direction of the arrow is held against movementin vertical and longitudinal directions, as will easily be understood,and may be dismounted in a similar easy manner.

In order that the shelf may be limited displaceable longitudinally ofthe brackets, the upwardly bent retainjing portion 11 at the lower sideof the groove 7 is re moved at the rear end of the groove, as shown inFIG- URE 2, so that the shelf may be displaced outwardly until the lowerframe 2 abuts the rear end 11 of said portion 11.

Due to the spring action of the ends of the frames 2, 3 the shelf isheld firmly in the groove in set position.

-In order that the distance from one shelf to the next above may beregulated within shorter limits than allowed by the fixed distancebetween the slots 5' the longitudinal central axis a of the groove ofthe bracket is displaced with respect to the middle line b between thehooks 8, as shown in FIGURE 2, whereby in changing the brackets at theends of a shelf the difference in level will be a fraction of thedivision between the slots 5'.

I claim:

1. A dismountable shelving unit comprising, in combination:

(a) two vertically extending support members, each member formed with arow of vertically aligned vertically elongated slots;

([2) two horizontally elongated shelf-supporting brackets, each brackethaving a pair of hooks releasably engaging two slots in a respective oneof said rows and being formed with a longitudinal groove having spacedupper and lower walls;

(0) two spacedly superimposed rectangular wire frames;

and

(d) means for connecting respective central portions of said wireframes, the connected frames constituting a shelf;

(e) each frame having two end portions projecting from the centralportion and normally spaced from a corresponding end portion of theother frame in the direction of the thickness of said shelf, thecorresponding end portions being resiliently movable toward each otherand engaged in the groove of a respective bracket, the spacing of saidwalls of said groove being smaller than the thickness of said shelf atsaid end portions.

2. A unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said walls definetherebetween an elongated opening of said groove, and further comprisingretaining means on one of said walls and projecting into said openingfor retaining one of said end portions in said groove.

3. A dismountable shelving unit as in claim 1, in which said retainingmeans consist of an inwardly bent portion 15 of one of the side walls ofsaid groove.

4 4. A dismountable shelving unit as in claim 1, in which one of theside walls of said groove has an inwardly bent portion extending fromone longitudinal end of said groove and to a point longitudinally spacedfrom the other end thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,781,991 Stover Nov. 18, 1930 2,090,353 Hokanson Aug. 17, 19372,900,085 Levy Aug. 18, 1959 2,983,475 Slavsky May 9, 1961 FOREIGNPATENTS 826,503 France Jan. 4, 1938 910,661 Germany May 6, 1954

1. A DISMOUNTABLE SHELVING UNIT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) TWOVERTICALLY EXTENDING SUPPORT MEMBERS, EACH MEMBER FORMED WITH A ROW OFVERTICALLY ALIGNED VERTICALLY ELONGATED SLOTS; (B) TWO HORIZONTALLYELONGATED SHELF-SUPPORTING BRACKETS, EACH BRACKET HAVING A PAIR OF HOOKSRELEASABLY ENGAGING TWO SLOTS IN A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID ROWS AND BEINGFORMED WITH A LONGITUDINAL GROOVE HAVING SPACED UPPER AND LOWER WALLS;(C) TWO SPACEDLY SUPERIMPOSED RECTANGULAR WIRE FRAMES; AND (D) MEANS FORCONNECTING RESPECTIVE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SAID WIRE FRAMES, THECONNECTED FRAMES CONSTITUTING A SHELF; (E) EACH FRAME HAVING TWO ENDPORTIONS PROJECTING FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION AND NORMALLY SPACED FROM ACORRESPONDING END PORTION OF THE OTHER FRAME IN THE DIRECTION OF THETHICKNESS OF SAID SHELF, THE CORRESPONDING END PORTIONS BEINGRESILIENTLY MOVABLE TOWARD EACH OTHER AND ENGAGED IN THE GROOVE OF ARESPECTIVE BRACKET, THE SPACING OF SAID WALLS OF SAID GROOVE BEINGSMALLER THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID SHELF AT SAID END PORTIONS.